Milford Catholic board: Parents knew financial picture

MILFORD - The Milford Catholic School Board Chairman is pushing back against claims made by parents of students who say they were kept in the dark regarding the school’s financial troubles and future.

In a strongly-worded statement sent out after a Friday meeting at which the school announced its closure, parents said they were kept in the dark about the school’s financial troubles – a $200,000-plus deficit – and declining enrollment numbers, but the school board says parents knew in early 2017.

Mike Walsh, chairman of the board and also a Milford selectman, said the school and board informed parents in January of the declining enrollment and financial picture. He said the board told parents that if enrollment stayed the same, there was a “possibility that (the school) could open” for next school year, which he characterized as a clear indication of the dire financial picture.

But enrollment dropped by 34 students, Walsh said, and the board knew of that number in early March.

The school spent that month reaching out to unregistered families to try to bring them back and offered financial aid, but to no avail, Walsh said.

After running the numbers and trying to find a solution, Walsh said he called Superintendent of Schools for the Worcester Diocese Delma Josephson and informed her of the numbers.

According to Walsh, Josephson met with the school board and Principal Marie Sciretta on March 29 when the parties discussed closing the school. A recommendation to close was made to Bishop Robert McManus through Josephson.

Walsh contends that the board still made an effort to get new enrollments, including unsuccessful open houses, but the board ultimately decided to stay with the recommendation.

On May 1, parents were informed of the decision, but were allowed until June 16 to solicit donations and enrollments to keep the school open.

Those efforts were unsuccessful, as enrollment actually decreased by one part-time student.

Parent Jen Demanche-Yohn and a member of a parent group tasked with trying to save the school acknowledged that the January meeting did present parents with the school’s financial struggles, but said parents were told that the school needed 17 more students to enroll.

But Demanche-Yohn said parents weren’t told anything else - including the loss of 34 students - until May 1, when parents were informed of the probable closure.

“There was no communication that we had lost families between March and May,” she said, adding that parents weren’t invited to any board meetings between those days.

Aside from laying blame, many parents say they’ll miss the school and its traditional Catholic values.

“I love the school and love the people who run the school, but communication was not really good,” she said.

Zachary Comeau can be reached at 508-634-7556 and zcomeau@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZComeau_MDN.